Shenzhen Tournament Gets Many Top Players

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 27th November 2013

Shenzhen Tournament Gets Many Top Players

epa03841167 Jie Zheng of China reacts after defeating Venus Williams of the US during their match on the third day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 28 August 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

China’s leading tennis ladies have confirmed their participation in the Shenzhen Open, as the official direct entry list is announced for the USD 500,000 WTA tournament, which takes place at the Shenzhen Longgang Sports Center from December 29, 2013, to January 4, 2014.

The official direct entry list consists of 24 of the 32 players – 17 nations will be represented. Besides China, the other nations with multiple entries are the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain and Slovakia.

“The tournament team is excited with the entry list,” said Tournament Director Nick Freyer of IMG. “We recently announced that Li Na would be back to defend her title and that she would be joined by 2012 French Open finalist and 2013 Fed Cup heroine Sara Errani, along with two time Grand Slam finalist and former world #2 Vera Zvonareva. It’s a great thrill to have two top-seven players in the draw.

“The tournament is touched by the support shown by China’s players, Peng Shuai, Zhang Shuai and the nation’s first ever Grand Slam semi-finalist Zheng Jie, who is making her debut at the Shenzhen Open .”

The Shenzhen Open will have 24 direct acceptances into the main draw based on world rankings, with the balance made up of four qualifiers and three or four wild cards. The Chinese Tennis Association will announce further wild cards in the coming weeks.

The tournament welcomes back a major sponsor, Yili Dairy Products. Yili is China’s leading diary supplier with products that range from milk and yogurt to ice cream which has ranked No.1 in China for 19 consecutive years.

The Shenzhen Open is organized by the Chinese Tennis Association, Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and CCTV-IMG Sports Management Company and co-organized by Bureau of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Longgang District, Shenzhen, Hong Gemdale Tennis Club and Kaisa Culture and Sports Company.

Topics: 10sballs.com, China, Chinese Tennis Association, Czech Republic, Fed Cup, French Open, Germany, Li Na, Nick Freyer, Sara Errani, Shenzhen Open, Spain, Tennis, Tennis News, USD Sports Center, Zheng Jie